Sign-display apparatus.



H. N. MILLER.

SIGN DISPLAY APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED 3.3.1916.

Elwuawfoz Patented Jan. 29, 1918.

EAELEY u. airman, or onnvaizauh. oHro, ASSIGNOR T wrenches waterline, or

- Y CLEVELAND, DHIO.

SIGN-DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented as, sets.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .l. HARLEY N. Mnlrsn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of #Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sign-Display Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This inyention relates to signs and more particularly to electrically illuminated signs for advertising purposes.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a sign display apparatus of simple practical construction, for holding, an inexpensive sign made of paper or similar liexible material which cannot sustain itself on edge without supporting means, in such a manner as to prevent wrinkling of the same.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the sign'display apparatus that the signs may be quickly changed.

With the above and other objects in view as will be readily understood, the invention will be hereinafter fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which simply illustrate a preferred embodiment of the same, and the novel features thereof will be distinctly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Figure 1 is a front View of a sign display apparatus. constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a the same, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental sectional View to better show the construction of'the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a box, preferably constructed of sheet metal and tapering from the front open end 2 to its rear closed end 3, which supports one or more ordinarvllasher electric lights indicated by To the rim 5 of the open end of the box is fastened a flange 6. lhis flange is preferably made of wood. It is recessed at 7 for fitting over said rim and to leave a shoulder 8 having its inside edge flush with the inside of the rim. Screws 9 passing through the rim of the box enter said flange and hold it in place. The forward inner edge of the flange 6 is cut away to provide a seat 10 for a strip or gasket of longitudinal sectional view of recess and hingedly connected to the lower edge of the flange 6, as indicated at 16, in such a manner as to bear slightly against the cushion when the frame is in its closed position. Said frame is cut out at its inner edge to provide a groove 17 for holding loosely a plate of glass 18, which is adapted to cooperate with the. before mentioned plate of glass 12 for the purpose of supporting therebetween a thin paper or similar transparent flexible sign 19 not capable of standing alone. The sign may be of the printed or cutout style containing suitable words, which become visible at night by the operation of the flasher electric light. A felt gasket 20 similar to 11 is cemented to the in- \vardly extending edge 21 of the frame 15 and serves as a soft yielding seat for the plate of glass 18 when the frame 15 is being closed. The shoulder 22 prevents the plate of glass from falling out of the frame when being opened. An important, feature of this invention resides in using a slightly convex plate of glass 12 supported by the flange of the box and a cooperating concave plate of glass 18 carried by the hinged frame. The thin paper sign 19, inserted between said plates of glass, is acted-upon by the inwardly bulging centers of the same as the frame is being closed. The pressure upon the sign is the greatest at the center and gradually diminishes radially therefrom. This presses the sign outwardly from the center and. thereby causes it to lie. smoothly between the plates of glass. Any suitable means may be employed to lock the frame 15. to the flange (5. For instance a book 23 may be pivoted to the flange for engaging a staple 24 projecting from the frame.

As will be understood from the preceding description and accompanying drawings, a number of paper signs may be and quickly placed in or taken out of the sign apparatus. That. when the frame is being closed, the-pressure exerted upon the sign by the bulging centers of the glass plates 12 and 18. will cause the sign to be smoothed out from its center, and the felt kept on hand a the gaskets 11 and 20 will yield, as will also the cushion 14-, and thus prevent the breaking of plates of glass but securely hold the sign lace.

lthough the .construction set forth is ca able of accomplishing the intended results, it will be understood that slight;

.Hohanges may he inade thereto Within the scope at the claim.

Having fully described -my invention, what I claim is:

In a sign display apparatus, the combination of a flange, a ieldable gasketfixed to the flange, a rear g assplate fastened to the nee-ease gasket, a frame, the frame being hinged to said flange, a cushion arranged between the flange and the frame, a gasket of yieldable material carried by said frame, a front glass plate adapted to rest loosely against the last mentioned asket' and Cooperate with the rear glass p ate for holding a sign therebe- "tween, means for preventing the front glass plate falling from the frame when open, and means for holding said frame in closed position, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature HARLEY N.. MILLER. 

